6 Tips for Optimized Nutrition from a Biochemist
With all of the information out there about nutrition, it can get overwhelming and confusing when trying to figure out what’s best for ourselves. Sadly, we live in a society that pushes us towards processed foods, leading to disease. Even worse, our doctors, who are supposed to keep us healthy, are really only trained to treat those diseases once they arise. Registered dieticians are trained to plan diets with the purpose of avoiding deficiencies. Oftentimes, they work in hospitals or school districts, ensuring that patients receive proper diets according to their diagnoses and that students have access to the minimum dietary standards. Like MD’s, even if they all have good intentions, their hands are tied and they are at the mercy of politics. Both of these professions and their nutritional education (about 19.6 hours on average for MDs) are heavily influenced by Big Pharma and Big Food.
This is not to say that all doctors and RDs are inadequate in their nutritional opinions; many have gone on to further their education in nutritional biochemistry – the root of preventable diseases. What I’ve learned over many years of education in biochemistry, reading the literature, and many books from scientists to MDs is this: there is not a single diet that is the “right” way. It is more helpful to understand the basic truths and build what works for you from there. With that, I’ve created this post: 6 Tips for Optimized Nutrition from a Biochemist. I hope it helps you get started and changes your perspective on healthy eating!
1. Protein is Your Friend
Of the three macronutrients—protein, carbohydrates, and fat—I would say protein is the most important, followed by fats, then carbs. Only the first two are actually essential (our body can make carbs from the amino acids that make up protein through gluconeogenesis). Every enzyme, hormone, structural component, and transporter in the body is composed of amino acids—the building blocks of proteins. Most are also proteins themselves. Every cell membrane is composed of lipids and proteins, making healthy fats necessary for brain health, energy, and cellular replication.
Though carbohydrates are a great source of immediate energy, and the main source of energy for our brain, we tend to consume far more than needed. Our body will convert this to storage fat—a form we don’t want, especially in our liver, around our organs, and in muscles. It is best to consume carbs from whole fruits and vegetables. These sources come with fiber, lowering our absorption of carbs while feeding our gut bacteria and keeping our intestines protected.
The RDA says we need 0.8 grams of protein per kg of body weight, but this value only keeps us from deficiency. If we want to maintain muscle, we should be having at least 0.7 – 1 gram of protein per pound of body weight (high quality sources include grass-fed beef, pasture-raised chicken and eggs). Those older than 40, highly athletic, or battling illness should aim for the high end of this range at 1 gram per lb of body weight.
Sarcopenia, or loss of muscle mass, slowly rises as we get older. Lack of muscle in the elderly leaves them more prone to falls and the inability to partake in daily activities unassisted. More muscle means more protection—not just from falls but also bed rest and illness. If one falls sick to cancer, having a reservoir of protein to pull from increases the chances of fighting the disease. People with less muscle have lower rates of survival from nearly all diseases. Additionally, well -trained muscle tissue burns carbohydrates more efficiently, balancing blood sugar and making us more metabolically healthy. When we exercise, our muscles take up glucose through an insulin-independent pathway, allowing those with diabetes to lower blood sugar without a shot of insulin. Last but not least, muscle fuels the immune system – a topic I will cover in more depth in a future blog post!
2. Processed Food is Your Enemy
Our standard American diet is highly processed, stripping our food of key nutrients and replacing them with sugar and additives. When you’re consuming cereal, freezer dinners, and fast food, you are fueling with mostly carbs, fillers, and processed fats. Not only does this spike your blood sugar, leading to inflammation and disease, but it also deprives your body of the nutrients it craves, such as vitamins and protein, leading you to consume more to try to fulfill these needs.
Of course, Big Food and Big Pharma benefit from this the most. Your food addiction keeps bringing them money, at the cost of your health where Big Pharma comes in and profits off your diagnoses. It’s a vicious cycle where you lose and corporations win.
So how can you take back your agency? Slowly eliminate processed foods from your diet. If you had to start with just one thing I would suggest removing sweetened beverages – soda, juice, energy drinks, and yes, those four pumps of white mocha in your latte. Going cold turkey (a processed food, btw) will only end in failure. Instead, eliminate one item completely, then focus on one meal (ie. a whole food, high protein breakfast). Limit yourself to fast food on the weekends. Slowly cut that back to a couple meals a week. Small changes like this over time will lead you to long-term success.
3. When in Doubt, Think “Whole Foods”
I’ve always struggled with figuring out what to eat, especially when going to the grocery store on a whim without a plan. I grew up on mama’s mexican food, Pepsi, chips, frozen dinners, and all of the sugary cereals. It’s been a long, slow road to where I’m at now (see my approach above).
Lately, my mantra has been “think whole foods,” and it makes me stick to the good stuff. It might sound silly, but it really makes me remember the purpose of nourishing our bodies and keeps me in line with my goals. Otherwise, I would find myself grabbing snacks and frozen foods that are clearly processed but marketed as healthier options. Don’t fall for it! Stick to whole foods (fruits, vegetables, pasture-raised eggs, whole milk, grass-fed beef, pasture-raised chicken, wild-caught fish, nuts and seeds, legumes) or minimally processed (cheeses, fermented foods like sauerkraut, oats, protein pasta, and whole grain bread—though breads, oats, and pasta are debated).
4. Be Fiber Focused
Fiber should honestly be its own food group and macronutrient. There are two types: soluble and insoluble—we need both! Insoluble fiber forms a lattice structure coating your intestinal lumen (the inside of your intestines), while soluble fiber “fills in” the holes of the lattice. This creates a protective layer while also feeding the gut microbiome. Our good bacteria feed off of soluble fiber, whereas inflammatory bacteria can do fine with carbs. Starving the good guys while feeding the bad guys leaves our gut lining susceptible to leaky gut, allowing toxins, whole particles, and pathogens through, causing an inflammatory response. Not only does fiber prevent this, but it also slows down the absorption of carbs, protecting us from glucose spikes that lead to metabolic syndrome.
How can you get both types of fiber? Eat your fruits and vegetables WHOLE! Even blending in a smoothie shreds the insoluble fiber apart, eliminating the benefit of both types of fiber. I still have smoothies but I put a serving of wild blueberries, peanut butter, milk, and whey protein – still allowing some micronutrients and an easy way to meet my protein intake, just not counting toward my fiber.
5. Time-Restrict Your Eating
With a constant influx of food, our bodies never get a break to clean out the excess. This is where time-restricted eating comes in, also called intermittent fasting. Intermittent fasting is not the same as long-term fasting, though I have heard of many benefits of a 3-4 day fast as well. Intermittent fasting involves having a restricted window of time that you allow your meals to fall into. Optimally, a 6-8 hour eating window gives your body a sufficient break of 16-18 hours to induce cellular clean-up processes (autophagy, one of my favorite topics).
I used to delay my breakfast until 11 am and eat dinner around 6-7 pm, but I’ve recently learned that women are better off shifting the eating window to earlier in the day and having an early cutoff for dinner, i.e., an 8 am-5 pm eating window. This is due to the hormone cortisol that is naturally on the rise in the morning, but without nutrient signalling cortisol continues to rise, causing our body stress and affecting other hormone levels throughout the day. Keep in mind, this may also apply to men to some degree. You can dive deeper into this topic by listening to this podcast episode of The Huberman Lab with Dr. Stacy Sims.
6. Exercise is Nutrition Too
Some think that you can exercise your way out of a bad diet, and some think you can diet away your metabolic issues without exercise. Neither is true. Without exercise, you are not strengthening your heart, muscles, and bones, and you are not providing blood flow and oxygen to your brain for optimal functioning. Adding at least 3 days of moderate-intensity exercise and 3 days of resistance training will tie it all together, leading your body towards a longer life and health span, less disease, and the ability to enjoy movement, clarity, and joy for longer.
One final comment: Don’t forget to hydrate! If sweating, use electrolytes. Otherwise, enjoy half your body weight in ounces (i.e., at 114 lbs, I should drink at least 57 oz) per day of good ol’ H2O. If you’re working out, add 8 oz every 15 minutes of moderate exercise.
I hope these tips help clarify the confusion surrounding nutrition. If you want to dive deeper into each point, stay tuned for future blog posts!
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